Tony Williams Lifetime in this collection is composed of Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Alan Pasqua on keyboards, Tony Newton on bass and some vocals, and Tony Williams on the drums. Tony Williams got his start early on the drums by being a drummer for trumpeter Miles Davis when he was only 17 years old and left at the age of 23. Miles Davis was extremely impressed with the skill that Williams possessed. Miles commented, "Tony played on top of the beat, just a fraction above, and it gave everything a little edge because it had a little edge. Tony played polyrhythms all the time. He was a cross between Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones, Roy Haynes and Max Roach." The Lifetime rhythm section grooves and grooves hard in this album. The mixture of jazz and funk creates the perfect environment for a rhythm section, sometimes forgotten in jazz in favor of wind instruments, to shine. Each player gets his time to shine in this album. The rhythms that Tony Williams provides creates a central groove that can be heard at all times during the album. It is amazing to hear Williams not only lay down the beat, but also solo and fill like it is a beat. Holdsworth and Pasqua create their awesome and funky melodies on top of the hard grooving that Newton and Williams provide.
Vocals by Tony Newton are contained on "You Did It To Me Baby" and "Joy Filled Summer". String and horn accompaniment is featured on "You Did It To Me Baby". It was great to listen to a great grooving album with electric instruments and the excellent drumming by Tony Williams. A must have for all funk drummers and a great CD for those of us that want to sit back and enjoy the groove.
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